Kucinich: Liberals Support Obama But...

Liberal Dennis Kucinich says that liberals support Obama, but they want more. The criticism of Obama is "hopes that have not yet been realized."

Kucinich Changes Health Vote To Yes

Yes! Obama's turning Nos into Yeses. Dennis Kucinich has the right idea. Pass the bill already, then build on it. Jake Tapper on Obama's response:

I asked POTUS for a response to The Kooch Flip. "That's a good sign," he said.

Watch the long version here.

Obama Speaks in Strongsville Ohio March 15 Video

Read Natoma's letter to Obama here.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Vote Yes Kucinich!

Dennis Kucinich, at this point, is a no vote on healthcare because the bill doesn't have a public option. But he flew on Air Force One with Obama, so perhaps he was persuaded to do the right thing. I'll post full video of Obama's speech in Ohio when it's up.

Obama Meets With Liberals on Healthcare

Another update: Ever the optimist, sounds like the meeting with the liberal dems went well, even though they're still pushing the public option. Reading between the lines it says they're on board. Today Sherrod Brown, a public option advocate, said there is consensus that healthcare will pass. He suggests the public option can happen later. This bill could be a foundation for further reform.

Update from the meeting via Politico from a moderate and check out the team of Stupak and Weiner here:

Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) tells reporters after a 30-minute meeting among President Obama and fellow House Democrats, "I think when all is said and done, we will have the votes to pass health care reform."

Obama is meeting with Dennis Kucinich, who advocated single payer healthcare, and the New Democrat Coalition today. Via Politico:

The first meeting, at 1:30 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room, is expected to be with Madeleine Bordallo, Donna Christensen, Danny Davis, Raul Grijalva, Mike Honda, Dennis Kucinich, Barbara Lee, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Jan Schakowsky, Nydia Velazquez and Lynn Woolsey.

A second meeting, at 2:30 p.m. in the Oval Office, will be with the leadership of the New Democrat Coalition. Expected to attend are Jason Altmire, Melissa Bean, Lois Capps, Joseph Crowley, Ron Kind, Allyson Schwartz, Adam Smith.

GM to File for Bankruptcy June 1

A proposal by General Motors to let bondholders receive up to a 25 percent stake if they do not oppose its bankruptcy reorganization — a bigger share then G.M. offered the autoworkers union — has received the support of a group representing many of the company’s largest debtholders.

In a regulatory filing, G.M. also set Saturday afternoon as the deadline for other bondholders to support the plan. The company is expected to seek bankruptcy protection by Monday, the deadline set by the Obama administration.

“Unless a sufficient number of bondholders sign statements backing the plan, the amount of stock and warrants for bondholders would be “substantially reduced or eliminated,” G.M. said in the regulatory filing. A person briefed on the matter said G.M. was seeking support from investors holding about 50 percent of G.M.’s $27 billion in bond debt. The plan already has the support of about 35 percent, according to people briefed on the matter. NYT

Kucinich, one of five democrats who are disturbed by the auto task force (read about that here):

Kucinich Criticizes Israel

Dennis Kucinich always speaks his mind. It does seem a little irrational to me to wipe 300 people off the map when no Israelis were killed by Hamas, and Gazans say Hamas doesn't speak for them. (For an update, visit Haaretz).

I know the conflict has so many complexities, chief among them, no one ever criticizes Israel. If neither side budges, they will eternally blast each other to pieces and continue to incite violence in other parts of the world. Hillary!

Obama can't take office soon enough because the Bush administration is totally ineffective. But I'm not sure anyone can change the Middle East, where violence seems like a way of life.

The Hill: Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) is calling for a United Nations investigation into Israel’s attacks on Gaza, criticizing Israel for a disproportionate response to Hamas rocket attacks.

The criticism stands in stark contrast to the statements of other Democrats, who have offered near-unanimous support for Israel amid the latest violence in the Middle East.
....
Kucinich likened the Israeli attacks on Gaza to its war with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon in 2006. In both cases, he said, civilian populations were attacked and “countless innocents” were killed or injured.

“All this was, and is, disproportionate, indiscriminate mass violence in violation of international law,” Kucinich said in a statement. “Israel is not exempt from international law and must be held accountable.”

Pro and Con on Auto Bailout

I'd say give them the money, fire the leaders. I'm getting the feeling this isn't going to pass.

The Center for American Progress says the talks have been hijacked by conservatives. But of course.
Pro, Dennis Kucinich

Con, Ron Paul

Dennis Kucinich Gets Standing O

 Wake up America. The neocons have seized the economy. All the presidents Oil Men. Hot war with Iran. Cold war with Russia. If there were an Olympics for mismanagement, this administration would take the gold.
Kucinich was spot on.

Democratic Convention Preview Aug. 26

painting by Shel Starkman


Tuesday is Hillary's night. Mark Warner will keynote. Other big names include Deval Patrick and Bob Casey.

Tuesday, August 26 2008: Renewing America's Promise
Hour #1 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (LOCAL)
Call to Order
The Honorable Shirley Franklin
Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia

Invocation
Reverend Cynthia Hale
Disciples of Christ - Decatur, Georgia

Presentation of Colors
The American GI Forum
Mile High Chapter, Colorado
Congressionally chartered Mexican-American veterans & civil rights organization

Pledge of Allegiance
Koby Langley
From Fort Mead, Maryland, he received the Bronze Star for leadership in the US Army
Credited with design & implementation of 1st Foreign Torts Claims Policy Act - Iraq

National Anthem
Rocky Mountain Children's Choir
A multicultural, multiracial choir committed to forming community around music

Remarks/Video
The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton
Non-voting Member of the US House of Representatives, District of Columbia

Remarks
Ted Sorenson
Special Counsel, advisor and speechwriter to President John F. Kennedy
Researched and drafted Kennedy's "Profiles in Courage"

The Honorable Mike Honda
Member of the US House of Representatives, California

Dr. David Gipp
Member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
President - United Tribes Technical College

The Honorable Linda Sanchez
Member of the US House of Representatives, California

The Honorable Chet Culver
Governor of Iowa

The Honorable David Patterson
Governor of New York

The Honorable Patrick Leahy
US Senator, Vermont

Hour # 2 4:08 PM – 5:00 PM (LOCAL)
Remarks
The Honorable Chris Van Hollen
Member of the US House of Representatives, Maryland

Remarks
Cecile Richards
President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Daughter of the former Governor of Texas, The Honorable Ann Richards

Congressional Black Caucus
The Honorable Carolyn Kilpatrick
Member of the US House of Representatives, Michigan
The Honorable Charles Rangel
Member of the US House of Representatives, New York
The Honorable John Conyers
Member of the US House of Representatives, Michigan
The Honorable Bennie Thompson
Member of the US House of Representatives, Mississippi

Moment of Silence

Video – “In Memoriam”

Remarks
The Honorable Dennis Kucinich
Member of the US House of Representatives, Ohio

The Honorable John Chiang
State Comptroller, California

The Honorable Jim Doyle
Governor of Wisconsin

The Honorable Ted Strickland
Governor of Ohio

DGA - Remarks
The Honorable Joe Manchin
Governor of West Virginia

Hour # 3 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (LOCAL)
US Senate Women
The Honorable Barbara Mikulski
US Senator, Maryland
The Honorable Barbara Boxer
US Senator, California
The Honorable Mary Landrieu
US Senator, Louisiana
The Honorable Blanche Lambert Lincoln
US Senator, Arizona
The Honorable Debbie Stabenow
US Senator, Michigan
The Honorable Maria Cantwell
US Senator, Washington State
The Honorable Claire McCaskill
US Senator, Missouri
The Honorable Amy Klobuchar
US Senator, Minnesota

Remarks
The Honorable Ed Rendell
Governor of Pennsylvania

The Honorable Tammy Baldwin
Member of the US House of Representatives, Wisconsin

The Honorable Xavier Becerra
Member of the US House of Representatives, California

John Sweeney
President of the AFL-CIO

Robin Golden
Autoworker from Michigan scheduled to lose his job

Video - First Time Delegates: Renewing America's Promise

Remarks
The Honorable Rahm Emanuel
Member of the US House of Representatives, Illinois

Live Performance
Alejandro Escovedo
Vocals & guitar

Hour # 4 6:01 PM – 7:00 PM (LOCAL)
Remarks
The Honorable Steny Hoyer
Member of the US House of Representatives, Maryland
Democratic Majority Leader

Katherine Marcano
Cedar Rapids, Iowa flood victim

Anna Berger
Officer with SEIU & 1st Chair of America's newest labor federation, "Change to Win"

Pauline Beck
Homecare worker & member of SEIU from Oakland, California

The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Governor of Arizona

America’s Town Hall - Economy
Moderator: The Honorable Jennifer Granholm – Governor of Michigan
Panelists: Aimee Christensen, Jim Rogers, Jim Bauer, Jerome Ringo

Remarks
Jim Whitaker
Republican Mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska

Pamela Cash-Roper
Unemployed nurse and lifelong Republican from North Carolina

The Honorable Nydia Velazquez
Member of the US House of Representatives, New York

Hour # 5 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM (LOCAL)
Remarks
The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius
Governor of Kansas

The Honorable Frederico Peña
Former Secretary of Energy and former Mayor of Denver, Colorado

Nancy Floyd
Founder of Nth Power – an energy technology investment firm in Portland, Oregon

The Honorable Robert Casey, Jr.
US Senator, Pennsylvania

Lily Ledbetter
Her actions against Goodyear Tire led to the passage of the Fair Pay Restoration Act

Keynote Speech
The Honorable Mark Warner
Governor of Virginia

Remarks
Ret. Rear Admiral John Hutson
President, Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, New Hampshire
Lifelong Republican

The Honorable Deval Patrick
Governor of Massachusetts

Hour # 6 8:02 PM – 9:04 PM (LOCAL)
Remarks
Gloria Craven
Laid-off North Carolina textile worker with huge medical bills

The Honorable Brian Schweitzer
Governor of Montana

Hillary Clinton Segment - Video/Remarks
The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
US Senator, New York

Benediction
Revs. Jin Ho Kang, Yoougsook Kang
Methodists - Aurora, Colorado

Recess
The Honorable Shirley Franklin
Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia